What You Need to Know Before You Buy Eggs

Going to the store to buy eggs can be confusing and misleading. Don’t believe everything you read on an egg carton. Some claims means something and other claims mean absolutely nothing.

For example if you are buying eggs that haven’t been certified organic, or from an welfare organization such as USDA/Organic or American Humane Certified, Animal Welfare Approved, Certified Humane then the following claims have not been verified and can only be as honest as the company.

Here are some  Egg Claims that must be certified if you want to be sure it is actually true:

1. Raised without Antibiotics-The hens were not fed antibiotics at any time if a hen was sick and given antibiotics, its eggs cannot make the claim. The routine use of antiviotics in hens is illegal

2. Cage Free- Hens live outside of battery cages in barns or warehouses, but usually don’t have access to the outdoors. Cage free hens typicallyu  have two or three times more space than caged hens

3.  Free-Range or FREE Roaming: Cage free hens with some outdoor access. There are not requirements for how much or what kind.

4. Pasture Range or Pastured: Hens spend at least some time outside foraging for vegetation and bugs.

Claims that Mean Absolutely Nothing on Eggs

1. Hormone FREE – Claim or NO claim. It is illegal for egg produces to fee hormone to their hens

2. Natural– As you know Natural means absolutely nothing…this is a gimmick to make you think it is free from everything

Nutrient Claims about Eggs You Need to Question

Did you know that cage-free hens typically eat the same corn-based diet, so there’s no nutritional difference between their eggs unless the egg producer add other ingredients such as Egg land’s Best.

Eggland’s Best Eggs, contain 50% of the daily value of Vitamin E which is 10 X as much as two regular large egg. So just check the Nutrition facts label to see what percent of a day’s work of the nutrient the eggs supply.

What About the Omega -3 Claims on Eggs?

Not all Omega 3 Eggs are created equal.You need to know which Omega-3’s are in the egg. For example, two of the omega 3’s are DHA and EPA that help reduce heart attacks, lower triglycerides levels, and are key constituents of brain cells and the retina. They are found most plentifully in fatty fish like salmon.A 3 1/2 oz.serving of cooked salmon contains roughly 1,200 mg of DHA and 600 mg of EPA.

There is a third Omega-3 fat- ALA- it doesn’t protect the heart as much as DHA and EPA. And most Americans get plenty of ALA from margarine, salad dressing, and other foods made with vegetable oils.

A typical egg naturally contains about 25 mg of DHA and 25 mg  of ALA. So if the egg carton claims that the eggs have Omega 3’s but doesn’t say how much…or it boasts that it  has 50 mg of omega 3’s per egg, chances are they are just an ordinary egg.

A few egg companies feed their hens fish meal or algae , which can get the DHA up to about 100 mg per yolk.However, if the egg company feed their hens flax seed or canola oil, they can easily boost the less desirable ALA omega 3 to 300 mg. If you see that the egg has 300 mg or more of Omega 3 then you are just getting the less desirable EPA and not the desirable DHA and EPA.

 

 

 

 

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